RANDY CASTRO: Michigan is for real

Michigan guard Trey Burke calls out a play during the second half of Michigan's 79-72 win over North Carolina State in an NCAA college basketball game Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2012, at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor, Mich.(AP Photo/Tony Ding)

Now that that's out of the way, exhale. If you're still doubting Michigan as a legitimate top-five team in the nation, feel free to take a seat in the back of the room. Michigan impressed in spurts and survived in others it its 79-72 victory over North Carolina State Tuesday night.

The seven-point margin of victory wasn't indicative of how impressive Michigan was for much of the night going nearly 25 minutes without a turnover and shooting 50 percent from the floor. Michigan committed just six turnovers on the night -- forcing 13 -- and getting 28 points from its bench.

Tuesday marked the fifth time in six games that Michigan has committed fewer than 10 turnovers in a single game -- the hallmark of an efficient basketball team.

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Facing its stiffest competition to date, Michigan rose to the occasion. Save for the last six minutes, the Wolverines dominated the Wolfpack in nearly every aspect, delivering a resounding message to the rest of the nation: We On ... And we're for real.

What separates this Michigan team from last year's isn't just the development of sophomore guard Trey Burke. It's the skill-level and development of the players around him.

Taking nothing away from the 2011-2012 team that had its Big Ten Championship banner raised prior to tip-off Tuesday, but this year's Michigan team can attack in a number of different ways.

No one personified that more Tuesday than Nik Stauskas. Coming off the bench, the freshman guard notched the first 20-point game of his career on 6-for-10 shooting in 33 minutes.

As for Burke, the offense's unquestioned primary weapon from a year ago, he went the entire first half without a single point. Though he did have a career-high nine assists at the break. He finished with 18 points and 11 assists -- his first career double-double.

The way Michigan is protecting, sharing and shooting the basketball should put the rest of the Big Ten on notice that the Wolverines are poised to make a run at a second straight conference title, though the season goals seem to grow bigger and bigger as this young season wears on.

No, the Wolverines can't win any hardware of note in late-November (no, the NIT Tip Off Tournament title isn't exactly perceived as prolific), and the Wolfpack are likely the third-best team in their state, but Michigan still took a major step Tuesday.

Not only do the Wolverines continue to silence their critics -- earning their first win of the season against a ranked opponent certainly helped their cause -- but they are starting to justify their lofty preseason rankings.

Yes, it's still far too early for anyone to be punching their ticket and booking their ticket to Atlanta. There's a lot of basketball to be played between now and March. After last year's early exit from the NCAA Tournament, there's a natural trepidation crowning Michigan as an elite team so early in the season.

But make no mistake about it. After Tuesday night, that's exactly what the Wolverines are.

Randy Castro is a sports writer and sports columnist for the Ann Arbor Journal. He can be reached at rcastro@heritage.com.